# So, if you're Jewish, do you think of yourself as being "white"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 14, 2013, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-if-youre-jewish-do-you-think-of-yourself-as-being-white/652944 "2013-03-14T19:34:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-if-youre-jewish-do-you-think-of-yourself-as-being-white/652944/61 "2013-03-16T01:36:08Z")
I’d consider an atheist observing Jewish forms and customs to be practicing the culture, wouldn’t you? I had an atheist co-worker who went through the whole year-long Jewish mourning ritual for each of his parents because that’s what his parents would have wanted, not because he believed the prayers. So yeah, that would be a cultural mourning practice. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-if-youre-jewish-do-you-think-of-yourself-as-being-white/652944/62 "2013-03-16T01:39:30Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > And one can even be observant, of a sort, and be an atheist. I exaggerated and told the Conservative Rabbi I studied with that I was agnostic. He said, “I think even some atheists come to Judaism.” ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-if-youre-jewish-do-you-think-of-yourself-as-being-white/652944/63 "2013-03-16T01:40:53Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > US is a lot less anti-semitic than most countries. But I still remember, in the 80s, in Texas, one of my co-workers finding out I was a Jew and inviting me home to show to his family, since they’ve never seen a Jew before (I politely declined). Jesus Christ! I mean, Moses and Aaron on a stick! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-if-youre-jewish-do-you-think-of-yourself-as-being-white/652944/64 "2013-03-16T01:41:57Z")
I got’s a question. Is there such thing as “Jew-dar”? Like, do you find yourself scanning a stranger for signs that they belong in the tribe? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-if-youre-jewish-do-you-think-of-yourself-as-being-white/652944/65 "2013-03-16T01:43:58Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > US is a lot less anti-semitic than most countries. But I still remember, in the 80s, in Texas, one of my co-workers finding out I was a Jew and inviting me home to show to his family, since they’ve never seen a Jew before (I politely declined). That doesn’t sound anti-semitic. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-if-youre-jewish-do-you-think-of-yourself-as-being-white/652944/66 "2013-03-16T02:29:10Z")
The U.S. is, currently, less anti-Semitic than most. But the decrease is a pretty recent thing, really dating to post WW2. Part of that is that the U.S. has almost as many Jews in it as does Israel, and more than the rest of the world besides Israel all put together. Which is still a small fraction of the American population. Quick what percent of Americans do _you_ think are Jewish? just over only 2%. But which is percieved as being more by many … heck 18% of Americans apparently believe [Obama is Jewish](http://www.mediaite.com/online/ap-poll-finds-more-americans-believe-obama-is-jewish-than-muslim/)! ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-if-youre-jewish-do-you-think-of-yourself-as-being-white/652944/67 "2013-03-16T02:48:43Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I exaggerated and told the Conservative Rabbi I studied with that I was agnostic. He said, “I think even some atheists come to Judaism.” Reconstructionist Judaism, an offshoot of the Conservative movement, doesn’t even have a statement of faith for conversion. An alignment with the ethical core of Judaism is a sufficient reason to work towards conversion. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-if-youre-jewish-do-you-think-of-yourself-as-being-white/652944/68 "2013-03-16T02:53:02Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I’d consider an atheist observing Jewish forms and customs to be practicing the culture, wouldn’t you? > > I had an atheist co-worker who went through the whole year-long Jewish mourning ritual for each of his parents because that’s what his parents would have wanted, not because he believed the prayers. So yeah, that would be a cultural mourning practice. Sure, but I went through a year of mourning for my dad (just ended), because it was what I want. It was spiritually healing. I go to synagogue because I value ritual and prayer, even if I don’t believe anyone is listening. To me, when someone describes a cultural Jew they mean they eat matza balls and latkes, celebrate some holidays, etc,. To me that’s different than someone who actually practices the religion, as a religion. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-if-youre-jewish-do-you-think-of-yourself-as-being-white/652944/69 "2013-03-16T03:01:22Z")
It was easier getting through Mother’s death as a Jew. We had a hard time with her Methodist preacher, who wanted to tell jokes at the funeral. It was comforting to have people around who realized that she hadn’t been swept up happily into the arms of Jay ZUS, but was dead. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-if-youre-jewish-do-you-think-of-yourself-as-being-white/652944/70 "2013-03-16T03:16:34Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > That doesn’t sound anti-semitic. I didn’t mean to say it was. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-if-youre-jewish-do-you-think-of-yourself-as-being-white/652944.md?page=3)